Finger covering



FINGER COVERNG Filed May 24, 1954 United States Patent O FINGER CovERlNG Joseph E. Longstreth and Aibert Edward Honour, New

Application May 24, 1954, Serial No. 431,902

4 Claims. (Cl. 2-21) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in glovelike covering for part of the hand usually employed in grasping food.

It is the object of the present invention to provide an article of the above described character which is inexpensive and may be discarded after use, which can be readily pulled on and oi, and which will not encumber the ngers and portion of the hand which are not employed in grasping food.

With these objects in View, a preferred embodiment will now be described with reference to the drawing in which Fig. 1 illustrates a plan view of a preferred and Fig. 2 a second embodiment.

In Fig. 1 a sheet of exible plastic or paper formed into a glove for sheathing the thumb 1, index 2, and middle inger 3, and part of the hand 4. The sheet is cut out to form two groups of elements 1, 2, 3 and 4, and then folded along edge 5. The thumb and nger sheaths 1, 2, 3 are then formed by cementing, sewing, heat pressing or otherwise fastening together, depending on the substance employed, the free edges of the cut-out as indicated at 6.

The triangular hand sheathing portion 4 comprising front panel 19a and back panel 19b terminates in apices 7a and 7b. The lower third of the folded edge 5 coextensive with the outer side edge of the thumb stall has a slit 8 extending from points 7a and 7b, and the opposite edge 9 of the glove coextensive with the outer side edge of the middle linger stall is open from the cemented base 10 of sheath 3 to the apices 7a and 7b of the triangle 4.

The glove can be easily put on either the left or the right hand to cover the thumb, index and middle iinger, part of the palm, with points 7a and 7b extending to or beyond the wrist of the wearer.

The sheaths 1, 2, 3 are wide enough comfortably to accommodate the hand of the average adult with ample loose material between the fingers to cushion the food grasped, somewhat as it would be in a napkin.

The ring and little finger and most of the palm will be left unencumbered, so that the wearer can grasp food between thumb, index and middle finger without soiling his hand or the food, and without any part of the glove encumbering those parts of hand which are not needed in the operation.

After use, the glove can be easily removed by grasping a point 7 and pulling it back towards the tips of the lingers.

The glove lends itself to the dissemination of advertising or other information applied thereto, e. g. by printing.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that at least some of the advantages of the present invention can be obtained by forming a sheet of suitable material into a triangular shape having apices 11, 12 and 13 (Fig. 2), said shape comprising front panel 19e with apex 11a, and panel 19d with corresponding apex 11. Side edge 14 is partially closed with a slit or opening formed from 18 to 11 and side 15 likewise partially closed with a slit or opening running from 17 to 11. Closed end edge 16 which is opposite apex 11 deiines stall-receiving means for the thumb and for the fingers which may comprise one or more stalls like 1, 2 and 3. Thus, a stall may be provided for the thumb and a stall for the ngers, or as in the embodiment of Fig. 1 stalls provided corresponding to 1, 2 and 3.

It is apparent from the foregoing when taken in conjunction with the drawing that a disposable sheath for covering part of the human hand near the thumb, the index finger and the middle linger is provided, said sheath comprising front and back panel members of the same configuration, the front and back panel members each having two side edges which converge towards each other and an end edge opposite the converging end portion of the two side edges, the panels adjacent the end edge being connected together to form stall means for the thumb and for the said fingers, the lower end of each of the two side edges near the converging end portion being unsecured, the unsecured side edges forming an opening to receive part of the hand.

We claim:

1. A disposable sheath for covering part of the human hand near the region of the thumb, the index linger and the middle finger, said sheath comprising front and back panel members of the same configuration, the said panel members each having two side edges which converge toward each other and an end edge opposite the converging end portion of the two side edges, the front and back panels adjacent the end edge being connected together to form a stall for the thumb and a stall for said ngers, the lower end of each of the two side edges near the converging end portion being unsecured, the unsecured side edges forming an opening to receive part of the hand.

2. A disposable sheath for covering part of the human hand near the region of the thumb, the index finger and the middle finger, said sheath comprising front and back panel members of the same conliguration, the said panel members each having two side edges which converge towards each other and an end edge opposite the converging end portion of the two side edges, the front and back panels adjacent the end edge being connected together to form three stalls, one for the thumb, one for the index finger and one for the middle linger, the outer side edge of the thumb stall being coextensive with one of the said side edges, the lower end of the said side being unsecured, the outer side edge of the middle linger being coextensive with the other of said side edges, the portion of the other of said side edges below the stall for the middle nger being unsecured, the unsecured side edges forming an opening to receive part of the hand.

3. The disposable sheath as dened in claim 2 wherein the connected portion of one of said side edges coextensive With the outer side edge of a stall comprises a fold.

4. The disposable sheath as defined in claim 3 wherein said folded side edge is coextensive with the outer side edge of the thumb stall, wherein the opening of said side edge formed by the unsecured panel members at the converging end portion constitutes about one-third of the side length, and wherein the opening formed by the unsecured panel members of the other side edge coextensive with the outer side edge of the middle nger stall extends a greater distance than that of the first mentioned side edge opening.

References Cited in the flle of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 888,991 Fulton May 26, 1908 923,118 Eckrode May 25, 1909 1,817,385 Marks Aug. 4, 1931 1,913,218 Smith June 6, 1933 2,025,710 Beemer Dec. 31, 1935 2,436,755 Lapell Feb. 24, 1948 

